“Every time I think I’m out, they pull me back in.”- Michael Corleone, The Godfather

Since her release from Liberty Children's Facility, Anya Balanchine is determined to follow the straight and narrow. Unfortunately, her criminal record is making it hard for her to do that. No high school wants her with a gun possession charge on her rap sheet. Plus, all the people in her life have moved on: Natty has skipped two grades at Holy Trinity, Scarlet and Gable seem closer than ever, and even Win is in a new relationship.But when old friends return demanding that certain debts be paid, Anya is thrown right back into the criminal world that she had been determined to escape. It’s a journey that will take her across the ocean and straight into the heart of the birthplace of chocolate where her resolve--and her heart--will be tested as never before.

Ethan was abducted from his front yard when he was just seven years old. Now, at sixteen, he has returned to his family. It's a miracle... at first. Then the tensions start to build. His reintroduction to his old life isn't going smoothly, and his family is tearing apart all over again. If only Ethan could remember something, anything, about his life before, he'd be able to put the pieces back together. But there's something that's keeping his memory blocked. Something unspeakable...

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

I had been looking forward to this book for a very long time. I am a fan of Lisa McMann's and when I heard about this book, I was really excited. As a Contemporary novel, it's something of a departure from what she usually writes (Fantasy and Paranormal), and I was eager to see what she would do with it. When I purchased it, I was excited, but had a pile of ARCs to get through... When I finally got a little break from that, I immediately picked up Dead to You. It's a pretty quick read (most people should be able to finish in a day or two), and it's really good. That said, I still don't know how I feel about it... I know it's my 2nd favorite of her books (The Unwanteds, her MG Fantasy, is my favorite), and I enjoyed the writing- technically speaking, there was nothing wrong with the book. I guess I'm just having a difficult time articulating how I feel because it effected me deeply, and I still have an uncomfortable feeling in my gut after reading it. It's one of those books that makes you think; I mean, REALLY think. As the parent of a 10 year old and 7 year old twins, this book kind of hit me hard from the beginning, which I expected. What I didn't expect was that the hits would keep coming and coming and coming, until the very last page. I really can't delve deep into the story without major spoilers, but I will say that the synopsis doesn't even scratch the surface of what this book is about, or the intensity of the situation. Honestly, it's a good thing that this book is so short because the kind of emotional turmoil it brings up would be too much if it were longer. My only (very small) issue was that I kind of saw some of the ending coming from around the middle of the book. I wasn't prepared to believe it because it was so heartwrenching, so I tried not to, and that made it all the more shocking when she went there, but I did see it. I kind of wish that there would be a second book, because I wouldn't mind knowing how everything plays out, but at the same time, the way Lisa ended things was pretty perfectly aligned with the entire story. This book has left me completely conflicted, and I don't think that will change, but I liked it. Make sense?

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Grade Level Recommendation: There are a bunch of swears, some extremely heavy themes, and some sexual situations. I would say this book it most appropriate for students grade 9 and up (ages 14+) if they are reading it on their own, however, I think this would be a great discussion book for an 8th grade class or book club.

I wasn't really planning on doing a post this week because not a whole lot has changed from last week. I'm doing the same reads with my kids that I have been doing for weeks, and I haven't gotten to do a huge amount of other reading with Spring Break beginning Friday and the arrival of relatives on Saturday. That said, this is one of my favorite memes, so...

What are you currently reading?

Dead to You by Lisa McMann~ I've put this one off for far too long... I'm almost finished, and it is really good. I'm a Lisa McMann fan, and this is my 2nd favorite of her books (my favorite is her MG Fantasy, The Unwanteds). Keep an eye out over the next day or two for my review. In the meantime, you can read my review of The UnwantedsHERE.

Chomp by Carl Hiaasen~ I knew I wasn't going to have time to read this before its release, so I had my hubby and daughter do a buddy-read of my ARC, with the intention of them guest review it. After hearing them talk about how much they both loved it (and my husband is a REALLY hard sell on MG/YA fiction!), I decided that I really MUST read it myself. Stay tuned.

After the Snow by S.D. Crockett~ This is one of those books that it written in local dialect/slang, and I had a really hard time with it. I felt the same when I read Blood Red Road by Moira Young, but when I listened to it in audio format I loved it. That said, I am reserving my review of this book with the hope that it will come out in audio because I liked the premise, but hated the writing style...

Croak by Gina Damico~ Hands down, one of my favorite debuts of 2012. Croak was made of AWESOME, and I am thrilled that HMH has fast tracked the sequel, Scorch, because I am SO excited to read more. Do yourself a favor, and read this book ASAP. Read my review HERE.

What do you think you'll read next?

Revived by Cat Patrick~ I just got this in the mail the other day, and it is next on my TBR. I really enjoyed Cat's debut from last spring, Forgotten, and I am looking forward to reading this one. I love the idea and the cover is compelling. It's release date it May 12th, 2012, so look for my review at the end of April.

Life Is But a Dream by Brian James~ I'm a little behind on my ARCs... This one came out yesterday and I should have already read it, but time management has definitely been somewhat of an issue. This is getting read after Revived, for sure...

The Selection by Kiera Cass~ I got this one in the mail rather unexpectedly yesterday, and it is taking all my willpower not to dig in right now! Since I am a grown-up, I am exhibiting self-control and reading my other books first. Stay tuned!

"Waiting On" Wednesday is another fun blog event. Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, this event gives us a chance to talk about the books we anxiously await the release of. Since there is ALWAYS a looooooong list of books I'm waiting on (I actually keep a spreadsheet), I figured this is one that I MUST do.

Lots, and I mean LOTS of publishers have released their Fall 2012 catalogs over the past couple of weeks, and it's like I was when I was a kid and the Sears Christmas Catalog would come. There are so many great books coming out!

Have you ever been tempted to look into the future? To challenge predictions? To question fate?

It’s human nature to wonder about life’s twists and turns. But is the future already written—or do you have the power to alter it?

From fantastical prophecies to predictions of how the future will transpire, Foretold is a collection of stories about our universal fascination with life’s unknowns and of what is yet to come as interpreted by 14 of young adult fiction’s brightest stars.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.Henry's first wife, Persephone.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Aimee Carter, you are a cruel, cruel woman! That being true, I will keep coming back for more as long as you choose to keeping dishing it up!! I really liked the first book in this series, The Goddess Test; it wasn't my favorite book ever, but I felt like it was a solid start to what I think will be an amazing series (as far as Greek Mythology retellings go, I liked it a lot better than Percy Jackson). I took far too long to read it after it was released, and when I did, I fell in love with the characters, the world, and the interesting and unique take on the Hades/Persephone story. I was hooked when I read the prologue, and I found myself unable to put it down until I had finished the book in one sitting. I liked the way it ended, and I didn't feel like there was this horrible cliffhanger to stew on. Yes, I very much wanted to read Goddess Interrupted, but I didn't feel mad that I had to wait for it. Such was not the case at the end of book number two. The cliffhanger at the end of Goddess Interrupted is mean, and I will probably think on it for weeks... Book three, The Goddess Inheritance will definitely be ones of those books that I will grovel and beg for an ARC of, because I can't possibly imagine waiting until October to find out what happens next! In fact, although as a rule, I don't usually read the "half" eBooks that have become all the rage (in this case they would be, The Goddess Hunt, book 1.5 and The Goddess Legacy, book 2.5), because of general lack of time, I plan to for this series because after reading Goddess Interrupted, I really can't get enough...

If my lamentation over the wait for The Goddess Inheritance and my gushfest over the series in general weren't enough of a review in favor of Goddess Interrupted, I will go a bit further (but not by much because I don't want to give spoilers for The Goddess Test or Goddess Interrupted)... Goddess Interrupted begins six months after The Goddess Test ends. Kate's winter with Henry at Eden Manor is over (obviously, since there is a book number two, she has passed the tests and made a choice about whether or not to marry him), she has spent her spring and summer on surface, touring Greece with James, and has returned to the Underworld to be with Henry for the fall and winter... This is when all hell breaks loose in a very literal sense. From the beginning this book is packed with action and adventure. It is also packed with emotion, mystery, and several twists and turns that I didn't expect (there were some predictable parts as well, but they are forgiven because I feel smart when I figure things out). The end, in particular, threw me for a loop because while it was a cliffhanger, it was one I never in a bazillion years saw coming!

This book was great, but not perfect. There were times when I was very frustrated; Kate was a bit stupid and oblivious and beyond hard-headed at times, and there were times when I wasn't clear what was going on. The confusion turned out to be fine in the end, because everything was made clear, and since the story is told from Kate's POV, it makes sense that I would feel confused when she did. Her sometimes stupidity annoyed me though. I will say that as she grew stronger as a character, I became less annoyed, so perhaps that won't be a stumbling block to the 5 stars I so want to give this book next time around.

Overall, I thought this book was an improvement on its very well done predecessor, The Goddess Test. I liked the first book, I loved this one, and I have very high expectations that the third book, The Goddess Inheritance, will be even better! Stay tuned, and I will let you know what I think when it comes out in October!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Grade Level Recommendation: This book is pretty clean. There is some sex, but it is between a married couple. There is talk about how some of the gods and goddesses have been known to sleep around, but that is pretty common knowledge, and was already covered in the MG series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. That said, I would place this book in the 6th grade and up category (ages 11+), and would even allow 5th graders who have already had "the talk" to read it.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.

He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business.

Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer.

Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she’s forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who aren’t supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lex’s curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

What a pleasant surprise this book was! When I first heard about it, I wasn't sure it would be my thing, but by the time I was through the 3rd chapter, I knew that I was going to LOVE this book. Of course, I was right. Croak is GREAT! It had a little bit of everything; sometimes that can make a story a bit muddled and hard to follow, but that was not the case here. Croak was extremely well written and the different elements of the story fit together seamlessly. This book had humor, mystery, intrigue, drama, romance, realism, and fantasy rolled into one truly phenomenal adventure.

I think my favorite part of this book was definitely the characters. The protagonist, Lex, was smart, witty, insecure, and pretty kick-ass. I enjoyed watching her morph from a confused teenage delinquent into a happy girl who has found her place in the world. She was very real and easy to relate to. Then, of course, we had the boys. I loved that Driggs and Uncle Mort were both crush-worthy; Driggs for the teenage girls, and Mort for their YA reading moms... The supporting characters in the town of Croak were also great. We didn't see Lex's parents and twin sister much, but what we did see of them made for a few good laughs. Lex's Civil War obsessed mother was awesome, naming her daughters after Civil War battles (Lexington and Concord). The characters were all wonderfully developed, each with the right amount of emotion and humanity.

Obviously, the story was great, or I wouldn't be writing this gushfest, but the it wasn't the only thing that was great. The creativity and amazingly detailed world building were first-class. The town of Croak had so many brilliantly named businesses (a butcher called "Dead Meat", a florist called "Pushing Daisies"). I think one of my favorite parts was when all the teens were hanging out in the dorms and playing board games because instead of playing one at a time, they took them all and played a bizarre board game mash-up that involved Monopoly, Clue, Twister, Battleship, Chutes and Ladders, etc. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the rules. I also loved the real quality of the relationships, especially the awkward growing attraction between Driggs and Lex.

Overall, I have to say that this is one of my favorite debuts of 2012, and I have a feeling that it will stay near the top for the remainder of the year. This book completely drew me and made me smile almost the entire time I was reading it. Fortunately, the sequel to book, Scorch, comes out on September 25th, so there isn't very much of a wait as far as sequels go. One thing is for certain; I will be eagerly awaiting its release!

My Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Grade Level Recommendation: There is some cursing, and definitely some death. There is romance, with heavy make-out scenes between two of the supporting characters, earning comments like, "Get a room!", but otherwise, this book is pretty clean. I would say this book is (conservatively) fine for 6th grade and up (ages 11+), but I would have no problem allowing my 5th grader to read it, and probably would have let her in 4th grade.

I haven't gotten much of an opportunity to read this week, BUT I finished my taxes (WOOHOO!). Now I'm making up for lost time, so next week's post should be full of books!

What are you currently reading?

Croak by Gina Damico~ I probably shouldn't even put this in in "Currently Reading" section, because I have about two chapters left, but since I'm technically still reading it... This book is hands-down, one of my favorite debuts of 2012. Smart, witty, and original; I have a feeling that this series will catch on and become a HUGE hit. Stay tuned for me review. It should be up later today or tomorrow.

Bewitching by Alex Flinn~ I'm buddy-reading this with Emma, and I can tell we will be reading this for a few weeks. It's good, but we are both so beat by the end of the day that we get two or three pages read and have to go to sleep. We both really like it so far though.

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver~ Sooooo good so far. Much better than Delirium. I can tell the year-long wait for the release of Requiem will be horribly painful. (Don't forget that I have a signed copy of this book up for grabs HERE!!!)

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver~ I'm buddy reading this with my son, Benjamin. He got it signed at Lauren's event, and he was really excited to get started. I guess we're taking a short break form The 39 Clues... So far, Ben is loving this book to pieces.

What did you recently finish reading?

Purity by Jackson Pearce~ I think this might be my favorite book by this author. I was wary when I heard she was writing a Contemporary novel, but I had no reason to be. Purity was fantastic. It doesn't come out until April 24th, so look for my review during the first week in April.

One False Note (The 39 Clues, Book #2) by Gordon Korman~ I liked this one a lot better than the first one. I thought it was better paced, and much more interesting. I'm eager to know what happens next, but Benjamin and I are taking a break to read Liesl & Po.

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan~ I have extreme love for this book. I wish I could have had friends like Nick and Norah in HS. They are awesome and I loved how their story ended. Now that I've read the book, I can finally see the movie.

What do you think you'll read next?

Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard~ This book looks really good, and I'm in need of a shorter read right now, and this seems like a good choice. It's been sitting on my nightstand far too long!

After the Snow by S.D. Crockett~ I started this book awhile ago and then stopped. Similar to my experience with Blood Red Road, I am having a difficult time with the protagonist's manner of speech. I'm going to go back and give it another go since it comes out next week. Hopefully, I can get used to it because the story sounds really good.

Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter~ I really enjoyed The Goddess Test, and am really looking forward to reading this. It comes out next week, so look for my review over the next few days. I'm thinking maybe Sunday...

Life Is But a Dream by Brian James~ This is one of the four ARCs I have for books releasing on March 27th. I doubt I will get through all of them before then, but I hope this is one of the ones I do get to read. I love the cover, and the story sounds heartbreakingly beautiful.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is another fun blog event. Hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, this event gives us a chance to talk about the books we anxiously await the release of. Since there is ALWAYS a looooooong list of books I'm waiting on (I actually keep a spreadsheet), I figured this is one that I MUST do.

This week's WoW pick wasn't even on my radar until I started going through the Macmillan Fall 2012 catalog the other day... When I saw it I did a happy dance because the news of this book is made of AWESOME!

Anna Bloom has spent the last three weeks in a mental hospital dealing with her depression, conspiring with her fellow inmates, and tripping through first love. But now she's out, where does she stand? Is she too crazy to fit in with her normal friends? Is she too normal to fit in with her mental hospital friends? The sequel to GET WELL SOON answers the questions readers want to know: How do you go back to normal after you just got out of a mental hospital?

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

This is not the book I had planned for this week's WoW post, but when I found out about it, I had to share my love! I'm a great, big, huge Julie Halpern fangirl. I became such a few years ago when I read her brilliantly funny coming-of-age novel, Into the Wild Nerd Yonder (read my review HERE). This past October, during Banned Books Week, I did a "Banned Books Showcase" for this book's predecessor, Get Well Soon (read my review and commentary HERE). At that point, I had no idea that a sequel was in the works, but I ended my review by saying , "Although I liked the ending, I would really like to know what the future holds for Anna. She feels like a friend now.", so I am beyond happy that it is going to happen. If you haven't read any of Julie's books, get on it! She is funny and witty, and I love the way she writes.

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publication Date: October 16, 2012

My Expected Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

What are YOU Waiting On this week?

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a SIGNED hardcover copy of Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Click HERE! **

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Top Ten Tuesdayis a weekly meme brought to you byThe Broke and the Bookish. Each week a new Top Ten list topic is posted and book bloggers fill in their own choices. I'm a list girl (as in, I don't function without them), so I thought this would be a good choice for me! I actually keep a running list based on release dates of ARCs on hand, books I want to read, and library book due dates. If I went by the NEXT ten books on my spring TBR, this would be easy, but being the type to never make anything easy, I am going to do the top ten that I'm most excited for this spring...

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

(March 21st-June 20th)

10. The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell~ Usually I don't really like Historical Fiction, but I loved this book's predecessor, The Vespertine (read my review HERE). There was a mysterious paranormal element to this series that just drew me in. Also, the covers are lovely. The Springsweet comes out April 17th.

9. Arise by Tara Hudson~ I read Hereafter, the first book in this series, last spring and absolutely loved it (read my review HERE). Arise comes out on June 5th, and I can't wait!!

8. The Selection by Kiera Cass~ I know there's been a lot of buzz about the author's response to a negative review on Goodreads, and I know a lot of people have said they won't read this because of it, but the story still looks good to me, and I still feel a need to read it. Also, I love the cover, so I need to have it as part of my collection. The Selection comes out April 24th.

7. Thumped by Megan McCafferty~ I thought the first book in this series, Bumped (read my review HERE), was one of the smartest, most original books I read last year. I'm very much looking forward to the release of Thumped on April 24th.

6. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini~ Last spring I read this author's debut, this book's predecessor, Starcrossed (read my review HERE), and was blown away! It thought it was great take on Greek mythology. I have been eagerly awaiting the May 29th release of Dreamless ever since.

5. The Drowned Cities by Paolo Bacigalupi~ I put off reading the award-winning first book in this series, Ship Breaker (read my review HERE), because it just didn't grab me. I was so wrong to do that! It was phenomenal, and I am so excited for The Drowned Cities to come out on May 1st! I won't make the same mistake twice!

4. Insurgent by Veronica Roth~ The first book in this trilogy, Divergent(read my review HERE), was one of my favorite books of 2011. It ended with a lot of unknowns, so I am really eager to read Insurgent when it comes out on May 1st.

3. City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare~ One of the few good things about the months slipping by so quickly is that it is almost May 1st, and that means that book #5 of The Mortal Instruments series, City of Lost Souls, comes out. I'm a HUGE Cassie Clare fangirl, and this is not only one of my top spring TBRs, but one of my top 2012 picks.

2. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore~ This book has been a LOOOOOOONG time coming! Graceling and Fire are two favorite High Fantasy novels EVER, and I think Bitterblue is going to be even better! May 1st is going to be a great day!

1. Timepiece by Myra McEntire~Hourglass(read my review HERE) was one of my favorite books last year, and it left off in such a way that I was ready to trade my favorite of my three children for the next book! June 12th can't really come soon enough!

What books top your Spring TBR? Do we share any?

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a SIGNED hardcover copy of Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Click HERE! **

Sunday, March 18, 2012

In My Mailbox (IMM)was started byThe Story Sirena few years back, and is a great way for bloggers to give the books they are reading (or are planning to read) a quick mention. Not a ton to report this week, but some good ones nonetheless...

PartialsBy Dan WellsPublisher: Balzer+BrayPublication Date: February 28th, 2012Source: PurchaseGoodreads SynopsisThis one has been kind of eating at me to buy since I went to the signing at B&N last week. I've been trying not to buy as many books, but I needed this one based on the reviews I've read and hearing Dan talk about it.

IlluminateBy Aimee AgrestiPublisher: Houghton Mifflin HarcourtPublication Date: March 6th, 2012Source: LibraryGoodreads SynopsisI really want to read this, but it is REALLY long, and I just don't know if I will have time before it's due back. Might have to buy it...

PlunkedBy Michael NorthropPublisher: ScholasticPublication Date: March 1st, 2012Source: LibraryGoodreads SynopsisThis book has a baseball on the cover, and since I am a HUGE baseball fan (Go Yankees!!), and a Softball Mom of two talented daughters, I had to give this one a shot. Also, I really liked his writing when I read Trapped last year.

The Raft By S.A. BodeenPublisher: Feiwel & FriendsPublication Date: August 21st, 2012Source: ARC/NetGalleyGoodreads SynopsisThis book looks so good! I've had my eye on in since I saw it in the Macmillan Kids catalog last year. Last week I saw it from NetGalley on someone's IMM, and ran right over to request it. SO excited!

YesterdayBy C.K. Kelly MartinPublisher: Random House BFYRPublication Date: September 25th, 2012Source: ARC/NetGalleyGoodreads SynopsisI hadn't heard of this one, but when I saw it on NetGalley, I had to get it. It looks pretty awesome, doesn't it?

**Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY for a SIGNED hardcover copy of Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Click HERE! **